A No Carb diet and a truly alive personality.

Karen is one of the most truly alive persons I know. First of all, she is positive, engaging, and interested in you. She laughs easily and is a good conversationalist. I can attest to her dancing prowess as she glides across the floor to The Tennessee Waltz. Karen publishes a magazine called (surprise) Truly Alive. Furthermore, she eats no carbs, not even one ounce per day. I wanted to understand more. After lunch with her not long ago, I was able to fit some of the pieces of the puzzle together.

Truly alive: Dancing the foxtrot (from Dancing with the Stars).

Karen was divorced at 31 with a one-year old, and has raised a daughter entirely alone. In Sedona, Arizona, at age 37 she almost broke down. Overweight, with other medical problems, and trying to raise an ADHD child of seven. She entertained thoughts of suicide.

At this point she cleansed her body of toxins, and embarked on a no-carb diet. Over a period of time, her weight came off. Karen’s health returned after she discovered that she was highly reactive to carbs with significant unpleasant side effects from consuming them. At the restaurant I watched with astonishment as she ate three dry meatballs without any sauce, and a salad with lemon-olive oil dressing. No breadsticks. Not even a single crouton.

In addition, Karen’s life has been transformed by spiritual healing. Brought up as a believer in God and raised in a church environment, she was also abused as a child. From this experience she recalls associating God with guilt, shame, and fear because she was taught that everyone was innately sinful.

Overall, the abuse did not lead her into atheism or agnosticism (which it has for many), but it was only after she encountered an alternative church which was more positive that she begin to appreciate God as a source of love and joy. The book Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsh spoke truth to her, Karen informed me. She perceives God’s hand moving in her daily life, and insists that God speaks to people in many different ways (see recent blog on this topic).

After I shared a family health problem with Karen, she offered to provide time out of a busy schedule to conference with them by phone. In fact she is such a giving person that she sometimes has trouble receiving from others.

A spiritual emphasis, radiant love of life, and benevolence are attributes which I as a Christian find quite inspirational. It struck me like a hammer on the head that Karen is living the way many traditional Christians seek to live. With Karen it is practical not just theoretical, and you can see it shining from her face. Can we learn, like Karen has, to be more truly alive?

Truly alive: Reflecting on the sunset over the Manzanos, Albuquerque.

Disclaimer: Please note that I try to be respectful of other’s views and beliefs, although my views and beliefs may be different.

If you have discovered secrets to being more truly alive, would you please consider sharing one in the Comment box at the bottom of the blog?

Postscript: The TV series called The Bible is shown each Sunday evening around 7 or 8 pm on the History cable channel. I was spellbound last Sunday by the re-creations of Abraham and Moses.

The Gray Nomad.
Probing the practice of Christian believers……

“Because this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found! And they began to revel and feast and make merry” (Luke, chapter 15).

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to be generous and willing to share. In this way they may take hold of the life that is truly Life” (1 Timothy, chapter 6).

David….from the TV series called The Bible.

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Garrick
Garrick
11 years ago

I tried a version of the Atkins diet some years ago (Atkins is essentially a carbohydrate free diet as in no carbs). A friend researched the web when I voiced some concerns about the diet. Sure enough there were many health hazards cited, including heart problems. By eliminating carbs your body changes to a new metabolic cycle where the body starts to break down fat because of the absence of carbs. In principle this is a great way to lose weight because you go on a high protein diet so you can eat all the fat you want. However there is no such thing as a free lunch, so that after a time the patient feels some adverse effects from this diet. While it works for a time (possibly a few months), eventually you will pay a price for interfering with a basic metabolic function. When I tried this for a short time I lost a significant amount of weight in a few weeks, but then abandoned it when I became aware of the hazards.

IanPalmer
IanPalmer
11 years ago
Reply to  Garrick

Thanks for your input Garrick. This is important information. My own goal is to lower the carbs (not to stop them altogether) by eating/drinking less sugar in particular. Too much sugar affects my sinus on the right side, so I have a built in meter which helps me regulate sugar and carbs.

MA
MA
11 years ago

Growing up I had feared God…..that I wasn’t good enough and afraid I would miss heaven. I rebelled against my strict upbringing. Only later in life did I find true meaning through Jesus Christ and His grace. I thank God that he sent His son to die for our sin. My fears are gone and replaced by love, joy and peace. Further, I have suffered for over 20 years with four back operations, three hip surgeries, and an intestinal surgical procedure. But God has sustained me through all these difficulties, and enabled me to continue to work, to attend grandkids’ ballgames, and even to hike in the mountains of Arizona. I am blessed and I do feel truly alive.

IanPalmer
IanPalmer
11 years ago
Reply to  MA

This is a powerful testimony MA. Your words “I found true meaning through Jesus Christ and His grace…..My fears are gone and replaced by love, joy, and peace”. are beautifully composed. Thank you for sharing.

Kim
Kim
11 years ago

Enjoyed reading this! Karen is truly an overcomer! Also, love the History Channels “The Bible”….especially impressed with “Moses”. 🙂

IanPalmer
IanPalmer
11 years ago
Reply to  Kim

I was spellbound once again last nite with David in the THE BIBLE series. Thanks for sharing, Kim.

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